Nintendo Switch release date, news: current-generation ports may not be possible

The official Nintendo Switch presentation is just a week away, but before the company even has the chance to talk about their new hybrid console, a lot of details have already been shared on the internet.

Former Ubisoft rendering lead, Sebastian Aaltonen, has a lot more to share on a Beyond3D forum when he revealed that the Switch might not have the processing power to handle current-generation game ports.

"Too bad last gen consoles already got their last big AAA releases year ago. Easy ports between Xbox 360 and Switch are not available anymore. Xbox One is a significantly faster hardware. Straightforward code port is not possible. Content also needs to be simplified," he stated.

This can be a little taxing for some game developers. If this is true, this means there will be no direct ports for current-generation games unless the developers change the game's code first.

Tech Times has noted that developers who want to port their games to the Switch will have to go through "strenuous streamlining, programming, and arduous legwork associated with porting titles." Game Rant's Boston Blake says developers may find the process far more troublesome than it's worth.

Of course, readers should take this with a pinch of salt until Nintendo releases more details about the Switch in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, producer Mike Gamble told Stevivor that BioWare wasn't planning to bring "Mass Effect: Andromeda" to the Switch right now and they were going to be taking the wait-and-see approach. "Yeah, not right now, no. We're not planning on it. If the Switch launches and everyone's just yammering for Mass Effect, who knows. We never want to close doors like that," he stated.

The Switch is scheduled to come out in March. A Redditor with the handle "King_Of_Rad_Lions" has speculated that Nintendo may release the console on Friday, March 17.